Key jack



March 18, 1952 QUEEN 2,589,571

KEY JACK Filed Feb. 9, 1946 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED .S-TATE' S l 2,589,551

JACK v Harold.E'.Queen, Berkeley, Calita- Ajpplication February 9, 194,6,Scria1. No. 645513 1 The invention relates to key holders and keys adapted to be carried in the pocket or purse. I

call: the device a key jack.

- One of the purposes of my invention is to provide a key holder which will hold a few or alternatively a large number of keys in a compact form which is thin enough to be carried in a mans pocket without inconvenience. One of the features of the holder is that a single key may be selected by the owner knowing its position in the holder and swung out into operative position. Another feature of the holder is that a key may be swung to a position approximately ninety degrees from the closed position and inserted in a lock leaving the holder hanging in a stable position. Still another feature of the holder is a provision whereby a key may be quickly detached from the holder as is often required.

, The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and the further detailed description in which are set forth, for the purpose of illustration but not by way of limitation. an operative embodiment of the inventive thought.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the holder filled with keys and with one key swung out into an operative position;

Fig. 2 is a lay-out of thin sheet punched and ready to be formed into a channel;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the basic part of the holder, the channel form;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a pin adapted to be riveted into the part shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a latch adapted to be hinged to the part shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an ejecting lever adapted to be hinged on the pin shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a key made with a hole through the shank, the shank having straight edges forming a cam;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an assembled holder showing the pin but only one ejector and a latch adapted to slide into engagement with the pin;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the latch shown in Fig.8; 7

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of two holders riveted together, back to back;

Fig. 11 is sectional view of two holders riveted together, back to back, and having springs with nodes adapted to engage notches in the edge of the key head.

In the drawing, like characters of reference 4 Claims (01. to -45s) denote, like and corneas En in p s gh u the. several; views.

As shown particularly Figures 1' to 7; i n' elusive a thi hee has een old in o a hannel form. the main p Channe 2 of the holder; Thev bottom 3 of the channel 2' is bent. nward: f the; ch l; b fo e he r tme so tha in use th bottom ns i t a sprin maintaini press r aga nst the straigh ge of the key-.- Int e de 5 f the hannel 2 is veted, the small nd 6 of h in Th pi 1' has necked end ad p to p ot de loosely t rough a hol 8 th s de I' l the chann 2- An, ele t e er H h s ho e t ad o fit ely v r the p n Th el ct ng e er H has a bent up part l3 which in operation lifts several keys until partly out of the channel 2 where the desired key may be more easily selected. The ejecting lever if protrudes slightly from the end I4 or the channel 2 to allow of engagement by the fingers of the operator. A latch I5 is hinged to the side In of the channel 2 by pin [6. The latch l5 has a notch I! adapted to engage the necked end 8 of the pin 1. Keys as illustrated in Figure 7 have a hole IS in the shank part and have straight edges 4, 4 equidistant from the hole I8 and parallel to the long dimension of the key.

In Figures 8 and 9 is shown a style of latch IS with a key hole slot 20 adapted to engage the necked end 8 of the pin 1. The latch l9 also has a straight slot 2| adapted to loosely engage two rivets 22, 22 in the side I B of the channel 2 as a guide. A raised portion 23 of the latch 19 has knurls 24 to provide grip for the finger of the operator.

Figure 10 illustrates an assembly of two narrow channels 25 and 26 which are held together by rivets 21 and 28.

Figure 11 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the bottom springs 29, 29 have nodes 30, 30 each which engage notches 3 I, 3| in the edges of the keys.

In operation the ejecting lever is raised by the operator thus freeing several keys from the channel that the desired one may be selected. The remaining raised keys are then pressed down into the channel and the desired key is swung on out ready for use. The spring bottom of the channel maintains pressure against the straight side 4 of the keys when they are enclosed by the channel and also when a key is extended. When it is desired to remove one of the keys from the holder, the latch I5 is swung out of engagement with the necked end 8 of the pin 1, the

any of spring bottom of the channel member against end at the junction of the bottom and sides for the greater part of its length, a pin near the slitted end of the channel shaped member fastened to one side thereof, the other end of the pin extending loosely through a hole in the other side, the loose end of the pin having an annular groove near its end, flat square headed keys strung on the pin, and a latch adapted to engage the neck of the pin and secure the pin against withdrawal, the sides of the channel shaped member being adapted to be sprung apart when the latch is released for the purpose of removing or adding keys to the pin.

2. In a key holder, an integral channel shaped ,member of thin springy material slitted from one end at the junction of the bottom and. sides for the. greater. part'of its length, a pin near the slitted end of the channel shaped member fastened to one side thereof, the other end of the pin extending loosely through a hole in the other side, the loose end of the pin having an annular groove near its end, and fiat keys strungon the pin by means of holes through their square heads and adapted to be held secured in the holder in three positions by the pressure of the one edge of the square head.

3. In a key holder, a channel shaped member having a pin extending through the sides thereof near one end, flat keys strung on the pin by means of holes through their heads, and one or more ejectors comprising flat levers having a hole in one end adapted to be strung on the pin and having a turned up tab adapted to swing the keys out of the channel and having a closed handle end protruding slightly from the end of the channel opposite the pin end.

4. In a key holder, in combination, a channel shaped member of thin springy material slitted from one end at the junction of the bottom and sides of the channel for the greater part of its length, a pin extending through thesides of the channel near the slitted end thereof, fiat keys strung on the pin by means of holes through their square heads, and one or more ejectors comprising fiat levers having a hole through one end adapted to be strung on the pin and having a turned up tab adapted to engage and lift the bit ends of the keys out of the channel by overcoming a pressure of the end of the bottom of the channel against one edge of the square key heads, the ejectors being further adapted to be held secured in retracted position in the channel by the pressure of the keys when the keys are. in turn held secured by the springy botto of the channel shaped member.

HAROLD E. QUEEN.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name Date 690,396 Brown Jan, 7, 1902 1,623,224 Yale Apr. 5, 1 927 1,642,791 Skorepa Sept. 20, 1927 1,649,402 Gildemeister Nov. 15, 1927 1,777,929 McCaul Oct. 7, 1930 1,800,843 Moulton Apr. 14, 1931 1,934,889 Segal Nov. 14, 1933 2,279,449 Dieckmann Apr. 14, 1942 

